readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
This twisty thriller comes with an unusual premise that hooked me from the start: it’s set in an alternate world where once people hit adulthood, their ability to make new memories is drastically reduced, resulting in a stratified society where Monos, who can remember only one day prior to today, are second-class citizens to Duos, who can remember the past two days.
If you’re wondering how a murder mystery can possibly work under those conditions, well, I was skeptical too, but for the most part Yap pulls it off. Characters are dependent on their iDiaries (Apple and Steve Jobs are called out by name), which are cell phone-like devices on which they record each day’s events for review later on. Of course, you can see the problem with a system like this--whatever a person chooses to write in their iDiary becomes fact for them in one or two days’ time, regardless of omissions or falsehoods. Hence the detective in the novel always tries his best to solve cases within a single day (which is probably the part I had the toughest time suspending my disbelief about).
Claire and Mark are a rare “mixed” marriage--she’s a Mono, he’s a Duo. A woman’s body is found in the river near their house, and the detective shows up to interview Mark. This stirs up all kinds of trouble, in their private and public lives. Mark is a famous novelist and aspiring politician, and any whiff of scandal could taint his name forever. If he was involved with another woman, let alone implicated in her death, Claire, needless to say, has questions.
I like mysteries and thrillers, but as they can start to all feel the same to me, I’m always looking for ones with a little something extra. The memory-challenged world Yap has created felt fresh, and couldn’t have been easy to execute. If I rated this book using the Olympic gymnastics scoring system, I would rate it very high for starting difficulty and add moderate style points, with a deduction for a slight loss of form in the air. (Tortured metaphor? Perhaps. But I like it! I think I might start rating all books like gymnastic routines. How did I not see before that books and gymnastics are basically the same thing?!)
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
If you’re wondering how a murder mystery can possibly work under those conditions, well, I was skeptical too, but for the most part Yap pulls it off. Characters are dependent on their iDiaries (Apple and Steve Jobs are called out by name), which are cell phone-like devices on which they record each day’s events for review later on. Of course, you can see the problem with a system like this--whatever a person chooses to write in their iDiary becomes fact for them in one or two days’ time, regardless of omissions or falsehoods. Hence the detective in the novel always tries his best to solve cases within a single day (which is probably the part I had the toughest time suspending my disbelief about).
Claire and Mark are a rare “mixed” marriage--she’s a Mono, he’s a Duo. A woman’s body is found in the river near their house, and the detective shows up to interview Mark. This stirs up all kinds of trouble, in their private and public lives. Mark is a famous novelist and aspiring politician, and any whiff of scandal could taint his name forever. If he was involved with another woman, let alone implicated in her death, Claire, needless to say, has questions.
I like mysteries and thrillers, but as they can start to all feel the same to me, I’m always looking for ones with a little something extra. The memory-challenged world Yap has created felt fresh, and couldn’t have been easy to execute. If I rated this book using the Olympic gymnastics scoring system, I would rate it very high for starting difficulty and add moderate style points, with a deduction for a slight loss of form in the air. (Tortured metaphor? Perhaps. But I like it! I think I might start rating all books like gymnastic routines. How did I not see before that books and gymnastics are basically the same thing?!)
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
cdeane61's review against another edition
4.0
Started slow and had some real trouble accepting the premise at first, but it really does make you want to keep reading.
Interesting society built around the mono (can only remember as far back as yesterday) and duo (can recall 2 days), and some great references to real people and what products they might create to deal with the memory issue.
Structure and shifts in viewpoint, along with diary entries was well done.
Just when you think you know what is going on - you really don't, right up to the end.
Interesting society built around the mono (can only remember as far back as yesterday) and duo (can recall 2 days), and some great references to real people and what products they might create to deal with the memory issue.
Structure and shifts in viewpoint, along with diary entries was well done.
Just when you think you know what is going on - you really don't, right up to the end.
flying_monkeys's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
"It's the sum total of remembered grievances that makes hatred potent."
Yesterday takes the amnesia / memory-loss thriller to the next level. Yap's world is one in which the short-term memory gene has been switched off. Peopled with Monos and Duos - the former only able to retain one day's worth of memories while the latter two - don't expect to dive deep into the realities of such a world. The story is tightly centered on its players, so, while the concept is super cool, it's mostly superficially applied. I say "mostly" because - in keeping with human nature (to date anyway) - Duos are treated as superior, Monos as second-class citizens. At times the plot teetered on convoluted, but the mystery was such fun and the promise of twists hiding around the next corner so strong, I willingly overlooked any shortcomings.
Claire, Mark and Sophia aren't likeable. If you're a reader who needs someone to root for in a thriller, Yesterday may prove difficult. Well, I guess you could root for Hans - the seasoned detective who is a Mono passing as a Duo - because he's good at his job and wants to solve the case.
The ending does seem to leave an opening for a sequel. Not sure I'd read it though. I wouldn't want it to fail by comparison to this one.
Read this is you enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Breakdown by B.A. Paris, and/or Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.
4 stars
"Your diary says what you want it to say. Memory equals the facts you choose to retain. We are all victims of the pasts we prefer." [Mark to Claire]
Yesterday takes the amnesia / memory-loss thriller to the next level. Yap's world is one in which the short-term memory gene has been switched off. Peopled with Monos and Duos - the former only able to retain one day's worth of memories while the latter two - don't expect to dive deep into the realities of such a world. The story is tightly centered on its players, so, while the concept is super cool, it's mostly superficially applied. I say "mostly" because - in keeping with human nature (to date anyway) - Duos are treated as superior, Monos as second-class citizens. At times the plot teetered on convoluted, but the mystery was such fun and the promise of twists hiding around the next corner so strong, I willingly overlooked any shortcomings.
Claire, Mark and Sophia aren't likeable. If you're a reader who needs someone to root for in a thriller, Yesterday may prove difficult. Well, I guess you could root for Hans - the seasoned detective who is a Mono passing as a Duo - because he's good at his job and wants to solve the case.
The ending does seem to leave an opening for a sequel. Not sure I'd read it though. I wouldn't want it to fail by comparison to this one.
Read this is you enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Breakdown by B.A. Paris, and/or Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.
4 stars
"Your diary says what you want it to say. Memory equals the facts you choose to retain. We are all victims of the pasts we prefer." [Mark to Claire]
chandraleereads's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 stars. I liked the idea of the world in which this story was set, but I didn’t really like any of the characters. The story has four different POV’s - three I dislike and one I felt “meh” about. I can see why others might really like the book, but I can’t get invested in a story where I don’t have a character to root for and/or care about.
lyfeistrip's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Addiction, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fatphobia, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Medical trauma, and Stalking
Minor: Abortion
mpr2000's review against another edition
5.0
Can you imagine living in a world where there are no memories of the past, just having some notes from your experiences, not emotions or feelings... This is the world Felicia Yap has created in Yesterday, a forgetful world where emotions are not important in your life, just the actions matter.
I was captivated by this book, it's not just a mystery book, it has a heart and makes you re-think about what really matters in your life; love and friendship!
It was a shame arriving at the end of the book, it had been a delicious read, bittersweet and sad having to say goodbye to these amazing characters, I only could wish to know more about them!
The story is told between the four main characters, Claire, a mono, whose marriage is falling a part and knows that there's something more about the woman that appeared dead that she can not remember... Mark, a famous duo that is lying to the police to save his marriage... but maybe it's too late? Sophia, the mystery woman that has appeared dead and has more secrets that you can imagine... And of course the detective of the case, who is determined to make an arrest in the next 24 hours... Why?
With these interesting characters you will be immersed in Yesterday without being able to stop reading till the last page and will make you see your loved ones with a fresh start. This is a must read!
What would you do if you didn't have memories?
I was captivated by this book, it's not just a mystery book, it has a heart and makes you re-think about what really matters in your life; love and friendship!
It was a shame arriving at the end of the book, it had been a delicious read, bittersweet and sad having to say goodbye to these amazing characters, I only could wish to know more about them!
The story is told between the four main characters, Claire, a mono, whose marriage is falling a part and knows that there's something more about the woman that appeared dead that she can not remember... Mark, a famous duo that is lying to the police to save his marriage... but maybe it's too late? Sophia, the mystery woman that has appeared dead and has more secrets that you can imagine... And of course the detective of the case, who is determined to make an arrest in the next 24 hours... Why?
With these interesting characters you will be immersed in Yesterday without being able to stop reading till the last page and will make you see your loved ones with a fresh start. This is a must read!
What would you do if you didn't have memories?
leslielikesthings's review
4.0
A very intriguing premise that I thought was executed pretty well. Not every single aspect held together perfectly, but that didn't bother me much. The reason I like this kind of speculative fiction is to dissect the ideas and evaluate where I think they work and where they don't. The internal logic of the world mostly worked, and beyond that it was well done as a suspense/mystery/psychological thriller.
wellredphd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 STARS
✨ FOR FANS OF: The Handmaid’s Tale; Divergent; Wrong Place, Wrong Time; police procedurals
WHAT I LIKED:
🌟 the concept— a speculative fiction police procedural based on the amount of time people can remember— is absolutely fantastic.
🌟 one twist I saw coming, but the other actually caught me totally by surprise! the end of the book picks up quick.
WHAT I DIDN’T:
☁️ sadly, the premise & execution did not match up. I did not feel invested in any of the characters or their struggles & it left me feeling very lukewarm.
☁️ I did not care for how many points of view there were, as I didn’t find Mark’s perspective necessary at all.
☁️ some flawed logic in the worldbuilding of the book— the diaries, genetic explanations for memory, & development of people past the age of 18 were all a bit flimsy for me to buy into the speculative logic.
⭐️OVERALL: the mystery is basic, but the premise might pull you in so much that you overlook the lack of suspense. interesting ruminations on the fallibility of memory/truth/evidence. solidly mid for me.
‼️ Check trigger warnings, as always.